Machine for piercing tubes



Aug. 10, 1943. G. M. HARTSOCK ET AL 2,326,536

MACHINE FOR PIERCING TUBES Filed March 9, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 N WMW I N V EN TORQ rZSaCk 7927/0266 6. Bands Aug. 10, 1943.

G. M. HARTSOCK EI'AL MACHINE FOR PIERCING TUBES 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 9, 1942 w 2 @w mg mu p WW V M 6 M Q m AM o O m QNm o 1 eV 0 o lllllll lllll. NM

1943 G. M..HARTSOCK ET AL 2,326,536

MACHINE FOR PIERCING TUBES Filed March 9, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN! 'ENTORS Aug. 10, 1943. s. M. HARTSOCK ET AL 2,326,535

MACHINE FOR PIERCING TUBES Filed March 9, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 1943. G. M. HARTSOCK E1- AL 2,326,536

MACHINE FOR PIERCING TUBES Filed March 9, 1942 5 Sheets$heet 5 INVENTORS 4 1 fidiz'sack Patented Aug. 10, 1943 7 M CHINE Fon PIE GIN TUBES a Guy M. Hartsock and Harold s. Rounds, Detrbitf:

Mich, assignor's' to Mid-'West'Hydro-Pi'erca'; Inc.,'Detr'oit; Mich., a corporationof Michigan 1 .Application Maren 9, 1942; Serial No; 433,948

v 7 14 Claims. (01. 16489) 'This invention relates toa machineior piercin 1 tubes. 7

It is .common practice to form holes in; a tube :by drilling. Drilling holes in a tube, and particularly where the holes arequite numerol fil is not only uneconomicalbut also a slow process. it is theobject of this invention to produce a machine for pi rc n hol s n ubeswh i ew nica1,

- efficient, and capable of piercingholes at aanuch faster rate than by drilling the same. w

The invention also contemplates a machine for piercing tubes which pierces an accurate, clean a hole, which is simplein forrnand operation, and

which automatically feeds .the tube to the pierc- .ing dies, positions the tube in. the dies, removes the pierced tube from the jdies.3 1.

Inthe drawingsz i Fig. 1 is a verticalcross section of, the machine showing the tube in the. machine after. .ith Q been pierced and. prior to withdrawing the;

punches from the dies.

along the'line ||v of-Fig.2.

the line 22 of Fig. 1. I

Figs. 3 and 4 are sectionsalong the lines 3- -3 x and 4-4 respectively-of Fig.

and

Thissectionis taken I 1 Fig. 5 is a section alongi-the line 5; '5 oi Fig. 6.

' Fig. 6 is a fragmentary [elevation'alon'g the line 6-'-6oi-Fig.8.' b

Fig. '7 is a sectionalong the line.1| of Fig; 6.

j Fig. 8 is a vertical cross sectional view through the machine similar to Fig. 1 but with the punches retracted from the die and. the'tube 7 about to be positioned inthe die.v

Fig. 9 is a schematic lay-out of the hydraulic circuit for operating the machine. Fig. 10 is a detail view of the conveyor indexin mechanism. 7 r

The machineis designed for automatic; operation. Accordingly, thetubes 1- are fed by means of a conveyor in theiorm ofa pair of chains 2 which run around a pair of sprockets. 3positioned at the work feeding end of the machine and another pair of sprockets 4 positioned at the. a work discharge end ofthe machine. Sprockets 3. rotate about the horizontal shaft 5 and sprockets 4 rotate about the horizontal shaftB. Each of a the chains 2 are guided along an endless track 1 having straight portions 8 along the topside so thatthe tube, will Ice accurately positioned in the piercing die as described below. V

Each conveyor chain isprovided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced work holders 9 provided with sockets Ill. The holders 9 on the one conveyor chain the longitudinal axis of the tube when presented to the dies is accurately aligned with thelongi The conveyor :is' iz xed with a ste f'by sto "movementbymeansbf a pawl II pivoted asat 12 e v a on pistonrod {3 which isjconnejctedito piston;[4 operating in the" hydraulic cylinder 1 5. f. Pawl H co-acts with 'a pluralityof indexing pins l5 "cir cumferentially space d on plate "I 'l'which'is' fiired on shaft 5 to index the conveyori As thefpiston l4; Fig.2; movesltowardsflthe right; the inclined endll 8 of'the pawl lj rides'overpin i6 (dotted. line showing, Fig.2) and then the hookedendoi i the pawl. dropsbehind theIpinTIJBIFig. 10',"so;that upon the leftward or feedingistroke of thipiston 14 the pawllindexeslthe pini andplate 11 1120? from the positionshown inlFi'g. l0. tothe fullline' 1 I positionshownfinFigQZV .EaChHndeXin g of the plate 11 movestheconveyora'distanceequal' to i thefdistancefromihe centerf of one hold socket 2| of the hooked on ofthefpaw :sinoe pawl H rests on the rolle'r lfl whichha s'la- 1 fixed'bearing supportonthe flame-20 V roller l9 andpin l6 iunctiontogether to lock the indexing plate .1 1 against counter-clockwise rotax 13011, Lo i -0 h ind x n rl t ll al o locks t on e or.a i stc u t r-dwlsw s i" j rotation nd. u n the'wnv wr.dueflto i.

. inertia, fromconveying the tube beyond the piercing dies.

The conveyor-frame .2ll is: supported .on-.-ithe-.-, main frame 22 of themachine; Opposing supj vports23 for the piercing. headsare' slidablysupi." r ported on'the-main frame 22; Supports.;23-are identical. .As. shown in Fig.3, supports23'1is pro-f :vided With slide-ways 24 which .slidablyengage', paralleltrack members-25;mountedlon;franie 22.

Support 23. is; provided with :hold-downi plates v zfi which slidablyengal e the underside of tracks 25 toflholdthegsupports 23on tracks 255'. Each; I support 23. includes; a circular plate-portion .21 which supports aplurality of hydraulicallyop'er: 1 atedj piercing. heads generally designated 2.8. :i The number of heads 28- which are.;.circumferentially spaced about plate i 21 ,andythe; spacing of these heads will. depend upon the number of. holeslto be pierced in the tube and. the spacing of these are accurately aligned withv the holders onltheotherconveyorchain so that .along roller IS-QwhichlispivcitaIly;supported on. V i the conveyorframe 2B.' nt theend oi thej ing stroke pin lt, Fig. 2, is interengaged holes circumferentially of the tube. As shown (Figs. 2 and 6), there are four piercing heads mounted on each plate2'l spaced 90 because of the fact that the holes to be pierced in tube l are @90" about the circumference of the tube. Slides-23 are moved into tube piercing position and retracted therefrom by pistons 29 which are reciprocatable' in; cylinders w. Pistons are provided with piston rods 3| which are adjustably connected to slides 23 as at 32. Cylinders 3|) are fixed on the frame 22 as tracks 25.

Each piercing head comprises a cylinder 34,

a piston 35 within the cylinder. and a piston rod 36 connected to the piston;-' Thepistonrodhas. fixed thereto a slide blocki'lwhich slidesin ways 38 so that during the piercing; operationv the pis-. ton rod 36 will slide in an accurate'rectilinear path. A punch holder 39 is mounted in slide'3l.

' fI 'he punches carried by the holders 3 9 are design ed; 'Asi shown-run s, 1 and s, the heads f'x iounte'don thejleft'handjplate ZIeach carry 'a'sing1e Dl Ch "whereas thejheads 28 mounted on theright handiplate 21 .each carry two punches 40' spaced lon i ildinally of thetube. The number of punchesc'arried'by each head and .theirfposit Q l is "determined'by' the number of Y 1 holes inthe tube "and thein'relative position. It sjoih'appens herejjfor purposes of description, that he-fi h ndie id Q! b I r re w s e jmfany holes as' theileft hand end of tube I; Dur- [ing' the piercing operatlonthe tube issup'porte'd intfemally'by the mandrel 4| {Fig-5. Theman- 'Jdrel 4| is provided.with an axial hole 42 into which the slugs '1 metal pierced outbyp'unches -.4Q are idischargedfroin holes 43. Mandrel 4| is secured by'lbolts 44 to plate 45 'which, in turn fisfsecured byibolts 45 to the external die mem- 41. Die imember4 'I'issecured'by'bolts 48 to plate 11; I {Die member 4.1] is provided with die hol s crxr'zu c wh c a e n u iw t is ie' c esfiii fmend el 4 1-" Dur nei 1: punchlngoperlation the mandrel 4| su ports the be 1 m ermf r q th t. the t b -S i ts accufmt' l erce Wi h u "d for g the w fAIter the s ug are "discharged from thedie m es 43 mont s eep h r discharged ifroin the' ope'n erid fof mandrel 41 by ejector' tifl. "ll iei outer-end of "eiector 50 is piloted in bore 52 "Sb'that the ejector' 50 is stationary but plate Z|,move's relative to ejectorifl as the tube is fed ,.into"and*discharged frorn 'th'e mandrel 4| and external'die "41. Forejecti ng the tube from the 1 mandrel and die 41, the'frame 22 has fixed -thereon four ejectors '53 which slidably engage I die "in guideways 54. 7

The piercing machine is provided witha hydrauli'c drive which is purchased on the' open' I 'market'and therefore'will'only be described generally.- This drivecomprises low and high'pres- *sure 'pumps|i||- and- 6| respectively, which are driven by'r electridmotors. The outlet of the pumps are connected by pipes'62 and 6-3; and-1irie sitione'd in alignment with themandrel 4| and H outer; die 4'! which have noti-yet close'd in on the at 33 between that plate 4 5 and the; other end of the ejector l 5 0 is fixed to theframe 22'01 the machine as'at '65'. ti4wlthrasolenoid operated valve 65. As'shown,

ends of the tube. After piston l4 reaches the end of its indexing. stroke, then the pressure rises in lines 61 and 68 leading to cylinders 30. As the pressure rises in lines 61 and 68, pistons 29 move 5 inwardly thereby moving slides 23 and. plates 21 inwardly causing mandrels 4| to enter opposite ends of the tube and dies 41 to move over the ends of the tube, as shown .in Fig 5. Inward movement of. plates 2l..a1s,o places the piercing heads 28 in piercing position.

As soon as the piercing heads are in position, I, the pressure increases in line 10. Slides 23 are provided with a projection I09 which closes switches||l| as the slides reach inward or piercing 5 position so that at this time solenoid valve is -shifted..to.1 the right from the position i11us-' tratedin Fig. 9 so that this pressure is transmittedthrough'line 12 to the circular distributing mains 13 mounted on plates 21. From the distributing mains 13 the liquid under pressure is distributed'by line '14 to-theends'of' cylinders 34, thereby causing the punches 40 to move inwardly and pierce'theend' ofthe tube, as shown in -Fig. 1. As'soonas the piercing" operation is completed,

' pressure'builds up 'in'jlihe 'l l'and cylinder I02 thereby closingswitch 1 oz-sir that solenoid valve shifts to 'th'eposition shown-in Fig. 9 thereby transmitting ifluidundr p fdssure from line'lll thr ,ugh line 80 to the circular distributing mains 8| mounted on the back of' plates 21 and then through lines 82 into'the lower ends of 1 cylinders 34. 7 At thistirne lines- 14, 13;12'and'8'4 become e'xhaus'tline's returning the exhaust liquidto the reservoir 85 as"pistons imoveoutwardly to re- -tract the punches from the tube and: outer die to the positionsh'own inFig.'-5E l As soon as the punches have been retracted, pressure builds in line 80 and cylinder 04' and switch I05 now. closes--so that solenoid valve 65 is shifted to the left from. theposition shown in 9.;so-thatlinesf66, C61- and 68- n'owabecome exhaust lines for exhausting cylinders l5 and -.;30 Land fpressureis. admittedpthrough lines I5 and '76 to the left hand end of cylinder. liand 1p; mule inner; endscvof cylinders :30. As liquid under pressure enters thejeftchand endof cylin-.

,ider it onzr e to t e: r t th e v retu nin iedssie l wl: '1 1n; the osi o ho in Fig, 10. As liquid under pressurerentersjthe inner ends of cylinders 39, pistons 29 move out- .Wai i y? m v n slid s 23? b i w r iy withdrawing mandreis q I Q'frQmQWithin the ends ofr the', tube and withdraw ng .oi iter dies 5 6 from about the ends of j the. tube; plates. 2'1 frnove ss ut rd y i pers ie t" hcr h d but 'slugsfrom opening 4 2; in'mandrel 4|" and strippers 53 strip the e nd' of'the' tubesirom rhari- -drels 4| and' fr'orn'th'e 'dies 4|. Pressurenow builds up in line 15 and cylinder' lc fi thereby closing switch lql *so that valvedES now shifts '-to--'-the position shown in- Fig. 9 the operating cy'c'lei is completed} and-' a*new tubeis indexed i-into "piercingpos'ition aim the abovdescribed cycleautor'ria 'cally repeated." 7

We claim} i -.-Amachineforpiercirigtubes comprising in combinaticri; alsupportf a mandrel mounted on I I said support within theitube fcr supporting the same w 'le being pierced, said '70 support being "slidable 'i'e lative to the tube for --positioning the mandrel within the tube and for withdrawing the frnaf dr'el from the tube, said mandrerhaving' a chamber therein andan open- 'mg extending through a walllof the mand re lfa 'pier'cing to'ol'adapted to pierce the tube'and pass slug from the mandrelfl 2. machine for piercing tubes comprising in combination a support, a mandrel mounted onv said support adapted to fit within the tube for supporting the same while being pierced,-

said support being slidable relative to the tube for positioningthe mandrel within the tube and for withdrawing the mandrel from the tube, said chamber therein and an opening extending through a wall of the manmandrel having a drel, a piercing tool adapted to pierce the tube and pass through and be guided by the opening 1 "tube.

tiveto'said tube for inserting themandrel. within' the'i'tube and 'the die member about the tube preparatoryto the, piercing operation, andmeans "for projecting the tool into said openings to pierce the tube and withdraw 'thetoblpreparatory"to retracting the mandrel and die" from the said The 'combination as ,claimed; claim 8 wherein themandrel is provided with ano'pening into which the pierced out slugs fall, and means 7 actuated as the mandrel is retracted from the tube for ejecting the slugs from the mandreL in the mandrel while piercing the tube, the said tool discharging the pierced out slug into the chamber of the'mandrel, and an ejector operatable in the chamber of the mandrel for ejecting the slug from the mandrel, wherein the support also carries a die adapted to fit about;

the outside of the tube and the mandrel and having an opening through a wall thereof guided during the piercing of the tube. 1

10. The combination as claimed in claim 3 4 including an ejector operatable as the. mandreland die are withdrawn from the tube for ejecting the tube from between the mandrel andthe outer die. 7

11. Thelcombination as sliding support and is connected to the piercing pierce the same and for retracting the tool from V .25 aligned with the opening in the mandrel through which the tool passes and in which the tool is S. The combination as claimed in claim 2- ineluding an ejector for ejecting the pierced tube from the outer die and mandrel.

4. A machine for piercing tubes comprising a slidable support, a mandrel mounted on the said support adapted to fit within the tube and support the same while being pierced, said mandrel having a radial opening therein, a'tool carried by the sliding support and projectable through the tube and into the opening in the mandrel for piercing the tube, the said slidable support, mandrel and tool being slidable as a unit with respect to said tube into and out of piercing po- 1 I sition.

5. The combination as claimed in claimd wherein the mandrel isprovided with ancaxial opening into which the slugs pierced out of the able in a direction'parallelto the longitudinal tube fall, and an ejector stationary relative to 1 the slidable support for ejecting the. slugs from the-opening in the mandrel as the mandrel withdrawn from the tube. g 6, A machine for piercing tubes comprising a vholder for the tube, a support slidable axially relative to said tube, a die carried by said'support, a piercing tool also carried by said sliding support, said piercing tool and die being adapted to bewmoved into piercing position with respect to said tube by an axial movement of the sliding I support relative to said tube, an opening in the diemember through which the tool is adapted to pass while piercing the said tube.

.7. The combination as claimed in claim'6 including means for moving the slide member into tool for projecting the tool through the tube to thepiercedtube.

12. Amachine for piercing tubes comprising a pair of opposed supports slidable relatively toward and away from each other, opposed dies carried by each of said'suppo-rts, means for prev senting a tube between the said dies when-the sliding supports are moved relatively apart whereby as the slides move relatively toward each other the tube is moved into piercing ,rela- -tion with the dies, a piercing tool mounted on each of the slide members and adapted; topass through an opening in the die member for piercing; the tube, and means for withdrawing the,

tool from the pierced tube preparatory to sliding the supports relatively away from each other to disengage the dies from the pierced tube.

'13. Amachine for piercing tubes comprising a holder for the tube, a conveyer u'pon which the holder is mount'ed,"a support rectilinearly movaxis of said tube, a mandrel carried bysaid support, said conveyer transporting said holder and tube in a directioniperpendicular tothe longitudinal axis of the tube to position the tube in axial alignment withthe mandrel preparatory to being pierced and for removing the tube out oi piercing position after the same is pierced and the mandrel has been retracted, a piercing tool also carried bysaid rectilinearly, movable support, said piercing tool andmandrel being adapted to be transported into piercing position with respect to said tube when the tube is in' axial. alignment with said-mandrel by rectilinear} movement of said support and the piercing tool and mandrel carried thereby toward said tube and axially of said tube whereby themandreltelescopes with the tube to support the same 7 during the piercing operation, said mandrel havpiercing position with respect to the tube precrating the piercing tool to pierce the tube and remove the tool from the tube and'die preparatory to withdrawing the sliding support'and die from the pierced tube.

.- paratory to piercing the tube, and means for op- 1' 8. A machine for piercing tubes comprising a holder for the tube,'a sliding support, a mandrel positioned .on the support in axial alignment with the tube, a die mounted on the support and surrounding the mandrel, aligned radiali openings in said die andmandrel, a piercing? tool mounted on the support movable into and out of I the said radially aligned openings, thesaid sliding an opening for receiving thetool during the piercing operation.

- 14. Amachine for piercing tubes comprising a holder for thetube, a conveyer upon which the :holder is mounted, a stationary frame,'a' support rectilinearly movable upon said station ary, frame in .a direction parallel to the longi tudinal axisof said tubega mandrel carried by said' support, said conveyer transporting said holder and tube in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of thetube. to positionl'the tube in axial alignment with the mandrel .pre-- v paratory to beingpierced and for removing the 5" tube out of piercing position after the same is i g submit 'be fi edapta to si'idjaxi ii rela claimed .in claim ,8 I whereina hydraulic motor is mounted upon the tationarytr p e m unte on [Sa d irame sp me sid Qf. the s id cimveysr as thaw;-

moyab e' .suppert and a ap d'w abu vizhe end of, the tube to tripthe ame irnmf mandml asth mamma 'isf m ramqd a p rcin' als 'sar ed y s d. rlwil heas y inw'b support, said piercing tool and mandrel swim to he P WQ 91 9 Piflcii g w t ax a lismnfimw th .s id ma xe by recpi ngar mq nle 'tb this Said up v @991 ans ma i re; w sl hs reb t q 4? t b? ax ally 9 ai$1 ube h b t i a d e w wpsS W h he "$1 1 0 wa en film saw 2 Y ing th piercing op ra tio n, 'gshig .mpdiel'having qmning in: mivmg th $991 91m 

